I have a confession to make. I’m really terrible at decorating for the holidays. Some years it happens, others it doesn’t… and then some years we end up with a Valentine’s Day tree because we lose track of time and the work of taking down decorations is far less fun than putting them up.

So here’s my version of holiday greenery for you – it comes in the form of a kale pasta! It’s, of course, edible, and the clean up is minimal. 🙂

This kale pasta is full of all kinds of warming wintery goodness including a base of sautéed shallots, fennel, and savory, aromatic sage. There’s a bit of briny sun dried tomato for pop and (of course) some lemon juice to add a bit of bright cheer.

I used a fancy pasta shape called toscani – I just love the way the kale wraps around the short curly noodles. If you can’t find it, you can use any short cut pasta that you like.

Aside from boiling the pasta, this recipe comes together in one large skillet (or pictured, this pretty braiser), so it’s a great one to have in your back pocket when you need to get a hearty, healthy dinner on the table this winter.

For more healthy pasta recipes, browse the pasta section of our recipe index!

Fennel, Sage, and Kale Pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup chopped sage

12-ounces toscani pasta (or any short pasta)

¼ cup dry white wine

8 cups torn kale leaves

8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated pecorino cheese, for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, fennel, garlic, red pepper flakes, sage, ½ teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper and cook until the fennel is tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.

To the skillet, add the white wine and let it reduce for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low, add the kale and toss until just wilted. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the cooked pasta into the skillet. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, lemon juice and toss.

Season to taste and serve with generous drizzles of olive oil and freshly grated pecorino cheese.